The possibilities and problematics of school evaluation: post-primary teachers’ perspectives on the impact of school inspections in a high stakes inspection system

Abstract

ABSTRACT To ensure students receive the best possible education, many education systems worldwide have implemented school inspections. These inspections serve as a powerful tool to assess and improve educational standards, and to hold schools accountable for their performance. Despite the prevalence of school inspection, there is a dearth of quantitative evidence from high accountability inspection systems pertaining to teachers’ perspectives on the relative occurrence of school improvement-related consequences of inspections versus inspection consequences for teachers’ emotional wellbeing, and the factors that influence these outcomes. Therefore, the current exploratory study sought to address this gap by investigating these issues in Northern Ireland – a high accountability context. Responses to an online survey of post-primary teachers indicated the perceived emotional fallout from school inspections outweighed their perceived school improvement-related benefits, and that the perceived emotional impact was greater for female than male teachers. Based on the evidence uncovered in the study, suggestions are proffered for potential changes to high accountability school inspection protocols which would optimise the potential for school improvement, while simultaneously minimising the harmful, emotional side-effects of inspections.